Conveyer system for handling picker laps



March 11, 1952 c l STILL 2,588,942

" CONVEIYER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING PICXER LAPS Filed Dec. 21, 1949 i 4Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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ATTOR/VEVJ March 11, 1952 C. L. STILL CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING FiledDec. 21, 1949 PICKER LAPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIM INVENTOR.

CONWJV L. STILL W W! flawed.

ATTORNEYS March 11, 1952 -c. L. STILL 2,588,942

CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING PICKER LAPS Filed Dec. 21, 1949 4Sheets-$heet 3 /INVENTOR.

March 11, 1952 c. L. STILL 2,588,942

CQNVEYER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING PICKER LAPS Filed Dec. 21, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 E41? 70 W. 's '36 .]l

l I i JNVENTOR. g CONWAY p. sr/LL BY I ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 11, 1952CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR HANDLING PICKER LAPS Conway L. Still, Chester, S.0., assignor to The Springs Cotton Mills, Inc., a corporation of SouthCarolina Application December 21, 1949, Serial No. 134,219

6 Claims.

' This invention relates generally to conveyor systems, and moreespecially to a conveyor system adapted particularly for handling pickerlaps and arranged for use in maintaining a supply of picker laps at abattery of cards.

1 In textile manufacturing operations, the raw stock is commonly fed atan early stage through a picker which works the fiber stock beingprocessed into a lap. vThis lap is wound in roll form as it issues fromthe picker for transfer to subsequent processing operations, and therolled lap obtained in this manner is referred to as a .picker lap.Usually these picker laps are transferred to a card for furtherprocessing at which the lap is unwound for feeding through the card.

It is common practice to arrange a number of these cards in a batteryfor processing the picker laps, and each card is characteristicallyarranged with 'a lap stand for supporting a picker lap in position forunwinding and feeding through the card. These lap stands consistessentially of a frame structure formed with two vertical end plateswhich are spaced to allow disposition of the picker lap between them,and which are formed with a vertical slot to receive and support theends of the metal lap pins on which the picker laps are wound at thepicker.

' With a battery of cards arranged in this manner, there is aconsiderable handling problem involved in maintaining a supply of pickerlaps at the cards. Heretofore this has usually been done by hauling thepicker laps individually to the cards, and while special trucks and thelike have been adapted for this purpose, the methods previously employedhave characteristically involved a substantial amount of manualhandling, which has been undesirable not only because this manualhandling must be supervised carefully in order to avoid damage to thepicker laps, but also because these picker laps are bulky and unwieldyin form so that it has been difficult to handle them efficiently by thepredominantly manual methods heretofore in use.

According to the present invention a conveyor system is provided bywhich a supply of picker laps can be maintained at a battery of cardsautomatically without any manual handling at all.

Briefly described, the picker lap conveyor system of'th'e presentinvention comprises a receiving r'ackarranged adjacent the lap stand ofeach card in the battery to be supplied, an overhead conveyor meansspaced above the conveyor racks, and at least one picker lap carryingframe disposed for travel on the overhead conveyor means. 'The receivingracks arranged adjacent I the lap stands comprise a cradle adapted toreceive and support a picker lap, which cradle is supported on yieldablelegs or columns that normally position the cradle at a raised positionso that a trip arm associated with the cradle is disposed for actuatingthe carrying frame to transfer a picker lap to the cradle. Upon thistransfer of the picker lap to the cradle, the yieldable supporting legsallow the cradle to shift to a lowered or depressed position under theload of the picker lap so that the trip arm is displaced from the pathof the carrying frame as long as the cradle is loaded with a picker lap,and the conveyor system is thereby adapted for delivering a picker lapselectively to any of the receiving racks whenever they are empty.

The picker lap conveyor system of the present invention is describedfurther below in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of a picker lap conveyor systemarranged according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the picker lap carrying frame employedin the conveyor system shown in Fig. l;

V Fig. 3 is a side view of the picker lap carrying frame as seen fromthe left in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail taken substantially on the line 4-4 inFig. 2;

Fig. 5 is aleft side view corresponding generally to Fig. 3 but showingthe carrying frame disposed for releasing a picker lap onto a receivingrack;

Fig. 6 is a section taken substantially on the line 6-4; in Fig. 1, andillustrating the arrangement of the receiving racks in relation to thepicker lap carrying frame; and

Fig. 7 is a further side view of the picker lap carrying framecorresponding generally to Fig. 3, but including a fragmentaryrepresentation of the receiving rack, and illustrating a modification bywhich further selective actuation of the carrying frames may be obtainedin delivering picker laps to the receiving racks.

As illustrated in Fig. l of the drawing, the previously mentionedreceiving racks of the picker lap conveyor systemof the presentinvention are indicated generally by the reference numeral III; theoverhead conveyor means by the reference numeral I2; and the picker lapcarrying frames by the reference numeral I4. A receiving rack I0 isshown in Fig. l disposed adjacent each lap stand S of a battery of cardsto be supplied with picker laps L, such as are shown disposed in the lapstands S, supported in reserve onthe receiving racks l0, and beingdelivered by the carrying frames l4, as will be described more in detailpresently.

The receiving racks ID are preferably associ ated directly with the lapstands S as indicated in Fig. 1. As shown, the receiving racks l eachcomprise a pair'of supporting legs that-are fitted with foot plates 18for attachment at the base of the lap stands S, and are braced adjacenttheirupper ends by brackets 20 extending from the upper portion of thelap stands S. The supporting legs it are tubular in form (compare Fig.6), and each of them slidingly receives at its upper end a shaft member22 that bottoms on a compression spring 24 contained in the lowerportion of each supporting leg It.

The shaft members 22 are formed with a longitudinal groove or slot for aportion of their length as indicated at 25, and the tubular supportinglegs I6 are each fitted with a pin 28 extending inwardly for dispositionin the groove 22 to pro vide a limiting stopdetermining the extent towhich the shaft-members 22 maybe raised under.

the pressure of the springs 24, as indicatedlin full lines in Fig. 6.The upper ends-of the shaft members 22 are further formed-with flangesas at 30, and these flanges 38 bottom on the'up'per ends of thesupporting legs I 6 to determine the extent of allowable downwardmovementofthe 'Iheoverhe'ad conveyor means [2 arranged above thereceiving racks l0 may be of any conventional form adapted forsupporting material handling gear, such as the picker l'ap carryingframes l4. As shown, these carrying frames I4, which are suspended fromthe conveyormeans l2 in any suitable manner such as by hanger straps asat 38, comprise a hanger yoke 40 formed-with leg portions adapted tostraddle apicker lap L lengthwise or longitudinally (compare Fig. 2).Each of the leg portions of these hanger yokes 40 support plate elements42 and 44 for rotation. The right hand plate element 42, as seen in Fig.2, is mounted for rotation on the hanger yoke 40 by a'simple pivot studas at 46, while the left hand plate element 44 is mounted for rotationon a specially formed pivot stud 48 as will be explained infurtherdetail below. Both of the plate elements 42 and 44- carried by thehanger yoke4ll are connected by a bracket 50 by which they are caused torotate together. Also, eachof the plate elements 42 and 44 is formedwith a marginal notch as at 42' and 44' for receiving the ends of a lappin P and thereby carrying a picker' lap L wound on the lap pin P.

The previously mentioned specially formed pivot stud 48 provided for theplate meinber 44' is arranged with-a portion of enlarged diameter, asshown, that extends from the plate element 44 through the hanger yoke 40in the nature of a journal and terminates in a flange 52 adapted by lugs54 to form a pivot support as at 56for a lever member 58, which ispivotably supported by the lugs 54 intermediately of its ends andextends't'ransversely with respect to the plateele- 'ment 44. A suitablekeeper to is mounted on the leg portion of the hanger yoke 40 adjacentthe normally positioning one extending end 58' of the locking lever 58for engagement with the keeper 60 to retain the plate element 44, andconsequently the plate element 42, against rotation.

The lever member 58 is arranged transversely in relation to the plateelement 44 so that when its extending end 53 is in engagement with thekeeper 68, the marginalnotches 42" and 44 in the plate elements 42 and44 are disposed upwardly for carrying a picker lap L (compare Figs. 3vand 4) It should be noted, however, that when the notches 42 and 44 arein this position they are still displaced from vertical alignment withthe axis of rotation of the plate elements 42 and 44 so that the pickerlap L is carried by the plate elements 42 and 44 as an off-center loadthat exerts a turning movement on them. To keep the hanger yoke 40 inbalance when a picker lap is being carried in this manner, the dependingends of its leg portions are biased so as to place the seat of thenotches 42': and 44' in.- substantial vertical alignment with the hangeryoke40-whenr they are disposedff'orcarrying. a picker lap-11. Theextending end 58'- ofthe lever member 5Bris. similarly biased so thatwhen' it is in engagement.

with the keeper 65, the other extending-end: of'

the lever 58 is disposed in a'position depending vertically from thehangeryoke 40.

In operation, the picker laps L areloaded the carrying frames [4; asjust described. above; at a suitable accumulating station for the-pickerlaps, which may suitably be arranged adjacent the pickers at which the:laps are formed, and the loaded picker laps. L are-carried in thisman--' her on thesconveyor means'l2 tothe card: battery; At this pointthe-loaded carrying frames-:14 will be directed abovethereceiving racksI0, as i1lustra-ted inFig. L. and. assuming initially thatnone ofthe'receiving racks l5 are loaded,1each-of. them will be disposed inraised position by. the com. pression springs 24 contained in thesupporting', legs l6. At'thisraised position thetrip: arms 36? arearranged to be situated in the. pathrof travel of the carrying frames M-for engaging. the de;-- pending end of the lever" member '58" (compareFigs. 1 and 6). This engagement by the'trip' arm 35 causes pivoting ofthe locking. lever 58 to" release its biased extending end 58- from. thekeeper 60 (compare Fig. 2), andxwhen this happens the plate elements42xandx44 are releasedfor rotationunder the off-center weightaof thepicker lap L, as mentioned above. 'Ihe'rplate' elements'42 and 44 willaccordingly rotate: inithe: hanger yoke 48 to discharge the. lap'pin P'frcmi the marginal notches 42' and 44' (compareFig; 5), and transferthe picker lap L tothe cradle: 34of the receivingrack ID, a stop pin 64being arranged on the plate element 44" to limit the carried by theflange 52 of the pivot stud 4B for empty carrying frames l4mayaccordingly travel freely on the conveyor means l2- for return! tothe picker lap accumulating stationwherethe lever member 58 may be resetto engage the keeper 55 and thereby dispose the' carrying frame M forreloading with another pickerlap L.

The weight of the picker lap L transferred to the receiving rack II], asdescribed above, will cause telescoping of the shaft members 22 into thesupporting legs [6 against the pressure of the spring 24 until the shaftmember flanges 30 bottom on the upper ends of the supporting legs I6 andthe cradle 34 and trip arm 36 are thereby shifted to a lowered ordepressed position that is displaced from the path of the carryingframes l4 as long as the cradle 34 remains loaded with a picker lap L.Other loaded carrying frames l4 may accordingly also travel freely onthe conveyor means I2 above any loaded receiving racks II] to carryfurther picker laps L for delivery to unloaded receiving racks l beyond,Each previously loaded receiving rack [0, however, will return to raisedposition for reloading whenever the reserve picker lap L it carries isremoved for use, and the conveyor system of the present invention maythus be operated in a continuous manner for maintaining a supply ofpicker laps automatically at the battery of cards it serves.

Fig. 7 of the drawing illustrates a further modification which may beemployed according to the present invention for rendering the actuationof the carrying frames I4 additionally selective in delivering pickerlaps L to the receiving racks II). There are instances, for example,when the picker laps L being delivered to a battery of cards willconsist of different blends, and when it will accordingly be desired todeliver laps of each blend exclusively to particular cards of thebattery. To provide more fully for a situation of this sort, the levermembers 58 of the carrying frames l4 may be fitted at their dependingends with a transverse arm 66 formed with a plurality of mountingpositions, as at a, b, c, and d, for carrying a depending finger 68, andthe trip arms 36 of the receiving racks I0 may likewise be fitted with asimilar transverse arm 10 formed with corresponding mounting positions,as at a, b, c, and d, for carrying an upstanding target 12. With thisarrangement it is possible to set the fingers 66 on certain carryingframes I4, used to carry laps L of a particular blend, at a givenmounting position a, and at the cards selected for precessing this blendof lap L to arrange the targets 12 on the receiving racks in at thecorresponding mounting position a, so that the laps L loaded in thesecarrying frames [4 will be delivered onlyat the receiving racks I 0 forthe cards selected, and so on for other blends as required.

I claim:

1. A picker lap conveyor system for maintaming a supply of picker lapsat a battery of cards, comprising a receiving rack arranged adjacent thelap stand of each card in said battery, an overhead conveyor meansspaced above said receiving racks, and at least one picker lap carryingframe disposed for travel on said overhead conveyor means, saidreceiving racks comprising a cradle, yieldable supporting means for saidcradle, and a trip arm associated with said cradle, said yieldablesupporting means normally positioning said cradle at a raised positionwith said trip arm disposed for actuating said carrying frame totransfer a picker lap to said cradle, but allowing shifting of saidcradle to a depressed position under the load of a picker lap wherebysaid trip arm is displaced from the path of said carrying frame as longas said cradle is loaded with a picker lap.

2. A picker lap conveyor system for maintaining a supply of picker lapsat a battery of cards,

'6 comprising a receiving rack arranged adjacent the lap stand of eachcard in said battery, an overhead conveyor means spaced above saidreceiving racks, and at least one picker lap carrying frame disposed fortravel on said overhead conveyor means, said picker lap carrying framecomprising a hanger yoke adapted to straddle a picker lap, a plateelement mounted for rotation on each leg of said hanger yoke, each ofsaid plate elements being formed with a marginal notch for receiving theends of a lap pin and thereby carry a picker lap wound thereon,releasable means normally positioned for retaining said plate elementsagainst rotation with said marginal notches disposed for carrying apicker lap, but upon release allowing rotation of said plate elementsfor transferring the picker lap to one of said receiving racks, and saidreceiv-' ing racks comprising a cradle, vertically yieldable supportingmeans for said cradle, and a trip arm extending vertically upward fromsaid cradle, said yieldable supporting means normally positioning saidcradle at a raised position with said trip arm disposed in the path ofsaid carrying frame for releasing said plate element retaining means,but said yieldable supporting means allowing shifting of said receivingrack cradle to a depressed position under the load of a transferredpicker lap whereby said trip arm is displaced from the path of saidcarrying frame as long as said cradle is loaded with a packer lap.

3. A picker lap conveyor system for maintaining a supply of picker lapsat a battery of cards, comprising a receiving rack arranged adjacent thelap stand of each card in said battery, an overhead conveyor meansspaced above said receiving racks, and at least one picker lap carryingframe disposed for travel on said overhead conveyor means, said pickerlap carrying frame comprising a hanger yoke adapted to straddle a pickerlap, a plate element mounted for rotation on each leg of said hangeryoke, a bracket connecting said plate elements for rotation together,each of said plate elements being formed with a marginal notch forreceiving the ends of a lap pin and thereby carrying a picker lap woundthereon, means including a lever member pivoted on one of said plateelements and extending transversely thereof, said lever member beingyieldably positioned for normally retaining said plate elements againstrotation with said marginal notches disposed for carrying a picker lapand one end of said lever member depending vertically from said hangeryoke when said plate elements are retained against rotation, and saidreceiving racks each comprising trip means for pivoting said lockinglever and thereby releasing said plate elements for rotation under theweight of a picker lap to transfer the picker lap to a receiving rack.

4. A picker lap conveyor system for maintaining a supply of picker lapsat a battery of cards, comprising a receiving rack arranged adjacent thelap stand of each card in said battery, an overhead conveyor meansspaced above said receiving racks, and at least one picker lap carryingframe disposed for travel on said overhead conveyor means, said pickerlap carrying frame comprising a hanger yoke adapted to straddle a pickerlap, a plate element mounted for rotation on each leg of said hangeryoke, a bracket connecting said plate elements for rotation together,each of said plate elements being formed with a marginal notch forreceiving the ends of a lap pin and thereby carrying a picker '7 lapWound thereon, a keeper arranged on one leg of said hanger yoke, alocking lever pivoted intermediate its ends on the plate element carriedby; the same leg of said hanger yoke and extending transversely of saidplate element, yieldable meansrcarried by said plate element fornormally positioning one extending end of said locking lever forengagement with said keeper to retain said plate elementsv againstrotation with said marginal notches disposed for carrying a picker lap,and with the other extending end of, said locking lever dependingvertically from said hanger yoke, and each of said receiving rackscomprising trip means for engaging the dependin end of said lockinglever and thereby actuating said carrying frame to transfer a picker lapselectively to one of said receiving racks.

5. A picker lap conveyor system for maintaining a supply of picker lapsat a battery of cards, comprising a receiving rack arranged adjacent thelap stand of each card in said battery, an overhead conveyor meansspaced above said receiving racks, and at least one picker lap carryingframe disposed for travel on said overhead conveyor means, said pickerlap carrying frame comprising a hanger yoke formed with leg portionsadapted to straddle a picker cap longitudinally, a plate element mountedfor rotation on each leg portion of said hanger yoke, a bracketconnecting said plate elements for rotation together, each of said plateelements being formed with a marginal notch for receiving the ends of alap pin and thereby carrying a picker lap wound thereon, a lever memberpivoted intermediateits ends on one of said plate elements andextendingtransversely thereof, a keeper arranged on said hanger yoke,yieldable means carriedby said plate element for normally positioningone extending end of said lever member for engagement with said keeperto retain said plate elements against rotation with said marginal,notches displaced from vertical alignment with the axis of rotation ofsaid plate elements but disposed upwardly for carrying a picker lap, andwith the other extending end of said locking lever depending verticallyfrom said hanger yoke, and each of said receiving racks comprising acradle, yieldable supporting means for said crad1e,-and an upstandingtrip arm associated with said cradle, said yieldable supporting meansnormally positioning said cradle at a raised position with said trip armdisposed in the path of travel of said carrying frame for engaging thedepending end of said locking lever and thereby pivoting said lever freeof said keeper to'release said plate elements for rotation to transfer apicker lap to said receiving rack, and said yieldable supporting meansallowing shifting of said cradle to a depressed position under the loadof a picker lap whereby said trip arm is displaced from the path of saidcarrying frame as long as said cradle is loaded with .apicker lap.

6. Apicker lap conveyor system for maintaininga supply of picker laps ata battery of cards, comprising a receiving rack arranged adjacent thelap stand of each card in said battery, an overhead conveyor meansspaced above said receiving racks, and a plurality of pickerlap-carrying frames disposed for travel on said, overhead conveyormeans, each of said picker lap carrying frames comprising a hanger yokeformed with leg portions adapted to straddle a picker laplongitudinally, means carried on said hanger yoke for releasablysupporting a picker lap, a lever member pivotably associated with saidsupporting means, said lever member being yieldably positioned with oneextending end normally disposed for engagement with said hanger yoke andthereby preventing release of a picker lap supported by said means, andwith the other extending end of said lever member depending from saidhanger yoke, and the depending end of said lever member being fittedwith a transverse arm member formed to provide a plurality of laterallyspaced mounting positions for an, associated depending finger element,and each of said receiving racks comprising a cradle, yieldablesupporting means for said cradle, and an upstanding trip arm associatedwith said cradle, said trip arm being likewise fitted at its upper endwith a second transverse arm similar to said first mentioned transversearm at the depending end of said lever member, and said secondtransverse arm being formed to provide corresponding mounting positionsfor an associated upstanding target element, said' yieldable supportingmeans normally positioning said cradle at a raised position with saidtrip arm arranged to dispose said target element in the path of travelof said carrying frames for engaging a finger element carried in acorresponding mounting position at the depending end of said levermember and thereby pivoting said lever member free of said hanger yoketo allow release of a picker lap from said supporting means for transferto said receiving rack, and said yieldable supporting means allowingshifting of said cradle to a depressed position under the load of apicker lap whereby the target element on said trip arm is displaced fromthe path of said carrying frame as long as said cradle is loaded with apicker lap.

CONWAY L. STILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name a Date 1,202,029 Chambers et al. Oct.24, 1916 1,731,095 Draeger Oct. 8, 1929 2,097,105 Sanders Oct. 26, 19372,273,583 Meister Feb. 17, 1942

